Chûgoku no chôjin

I've just finished watching The Bird People in China and have skimmed the other reviews on IMDb. Like most of the others, I do enjoy Miike's work, though not to the level of unconditional love that seems to be common here. In my limited experience, around nine Miike films so far, none have been a waste of time and several are fairly amazing. Notably Audition, though definitely not for the faint of heart.

This film left me with mixed emotions. It truly has touching moments, but it also suffers from common issues with Miike films... disjointed structure, unmotivated action (particularly from the Yakuza character), a bit of excessive violence, a kitchen sink approach to ideas... every possibility explored, even when simple would have been more effective, and finally a liberal borrowing from other films. In fact I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned in other reviews. Miike clearly took much of the premise and emotional content from the movie Local Hero. A corporate drone begrudgingly travels to a remote village and, to his amazement, is touched by the locals and the lifestyle. There's more to the similarities but I don't want to give away too much. Though I will note that he pays homage to his source material by throwing in a Scottish song as a major motif. I also didn't buy into the ending... it seemed to detract from the more realistic aspects of the film.

All of this aside, the film is worth seeing. The scenery is amazing and fairly unique, the photography handsome (considering the budget), Masahiro Motoki as Wada is quite good (as he was in Okuribito/Departures), many of the secondary characters are wonderfully drawn (another Miike specialty), it's genuine and funny at times, and it takes you on an unusual journey, an actual adventure... rarely a dull moment.

"The Bird People in China" is one of those films you hear very little about, but that piques your curiosity after reading the synopsis. And then you watch it and realize what a gem it is.

Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike is renowned for his ultra-violent films. This is a delightful departure for him and proves what a tremendously versatile director he is. Yes, there are some snippets of violence, including a rather brutal machete attack. But that's all offset by the film's wonderfully whimsical nature.

The film revolves around a Japanese businessman sent to a remote Chinese village to inspect the jade mines for his company. Along for the ride is a yakuza man to ensure the businessman's company's debt is paid off.

The film not only chronicles their colorful journey - those turtles must be seen to be believed - but then taps into the characters' psyches as they reach the village and suddenly find themselves trapped there. These two disparate men both find themselves enchanted by this magical place.

I won't give away much more of the story because you really should watch this film. Miike injects magical realism into his story and some moments are beautiful in every sense of the word. There's also plenty of humor. The van scene is positively hilarious, especially given the driver's deadpan reaction.

The film's very much about our need to dream. But it also tackles important issues such as the encroachment of civilization and the importance of keeping some places pristine and innocent, no matter how valuable they might be to the rest of the world.

If you like interesting foreign-language films that open a whole new world, then do yourself a favor, see this film. You will not be disappointed.

Takashi Miike is the living definition of the word "indefatigable". In a career that began in the early 1990s, he has directed a staggering number of films in a mind-boggling array of different genres, from horror to family films, even a musical (!); but Miike is probably best known for his Yakuza (Japanese gangster) films. The likes of FUDOH, ICHI, and DEAD OR ALIVE, with their over-the-top violence and surreal (often disgusting) setpieces, are Miike's chief claim to fame. In one respect that's a pity, because every once in a while, Miike will produce a wild card, and BIRD PEOPLE IN CHINA is a film that fits into that latter category. The man character is a young Japanese executive named Mr. Wada (Masahiro Motoki), who is sent by his boss to a remote region in the wilds of China to survey a supposedly rich jade mine. He is joined on his trip by a Yakuza named Ujiie (Renji Ishibashi), who plans on taking the jade as payment for some outstanding debts on the part of Wada's boss. After they are taken as far as the train will go, Wada and Ujiie are met by their guide, the absent-minded Mr. Shen (scene-stealer Mako), who takes them through the rugged, unsettled terrain of rural China, first on foot, and then on a raft pulled by several huge sea turtles. When the three men finally reach their destination, a village left untouched by the ravages of industrialization, Wada and Ujiie have a few epiphanies that will prove to make leaving rather difficult. It sounds like a simple story, and it is, but there's something about this film that makes it great, but that I find hard to articulate. No doubt the startlingly beautiful cinematography by Hideo Yamamoto has a lot to do with the film's hypnotic quality. And then there's the genuinely touching story of two men who discover a whole other side to themselves that they were never previously aware existed. And finally, the film's deft blend of genres is seamless: it shifts gears from a screwball/buddy comedy to a jungle-bound adventure to an existential rumination on identity and civilization, finally ending on a dream-like note of perfect serenity. There is one scene of Yakuza violence that seems inserted to remind us that we're watching a Miike film, but it's fleeting and, compared to some of what can be found elsewhere in his films, it's utterly tame and inoffensive. There's also an ecological message packed into the mix. So, final verdict: for fans of Miike who wonder what else the man is capable of, I highly recommend BIRD PEOPLE IN CHINA, surely the gentlest and most poignant of all the man's movies (at least that I've seen). For the truly open-minded aficionado, there is much to be enjoyed here.

This is my second comment on a movie on this board. But after finishing this movie yesterday, I just had to write something about this fantastic movie. I have seen about 6 movies from Miike but this one was hard to find. I couldn't rent it anywhere but I really was interested in this piece of cinema because I liked the story and that it was something completely different from other Miike movies (although none of his movies are alike). So I ordered the DVD (artsmagicdvd version).

From the beginning I was really into the movie. And after finishing it, I enjoyed every second of it! It has humor, adventure, a little action and emotion! The scenery in this movie is fantastic and I want to visit these places in the movie If I know where they are! Miike takes you into his dreamworld and you don't want to leave. It is fantasy but believable and not over the top. The story is surrounded by mystery and I wanted to know all about it. I won't tell about the story because you can read that on this site. I just want to recommend this movie to every fan of Miike, well....to everyone who can enjoy a piece of rare cinema with a great story and beautiful scenery. Sometimes a movie is great but the ending is a let down. I think this movie is really completed, from beginning to end. Ohh....and the music is great as well. It is one of those movies you want to see again the moment you finish it. I hope Miike makes a movie like this again in the future; slow, beautiful, mysterious.....

I think it is very strange that a lot of crap is put on DVD but a fantastic movie like this is hard to find. I had to import the DVD and I can imagine not everybody likes to do that. So in Holland this gem isn't released. So I hope people just order a copy, just get one anyway you can, you won't regret it! On the DVD there is an interview with Miike, an audio commentary and some extra stuff. There is a trailer of this movie on the disk as well. But I STRONGLY suggest not to watch that before watching the movie. Why? Because the ending is in the trailer!!! I think that is very strange and I am happy I didn't watch it before the movie otherwise it would have spoiled the ending for me.

So you get the idea, I am very enthusiastic and I think you will to after seeing this beautiful film. What are you still doing behind your desk? Go get a copy!

I saw my first Miike film, the cinematic suckerpunch of "Audition", about two years ago and, slowly but surely since then, I've been building up my steady little collection of his works as my respect for him grows. Admittedly, as yet, I've barely scratched the surface of his obscenely prolific oevure but with each gem I uncover, it merely reinforces my absolute adoration of unquestionably the most fiercely original filmmaker I've ever encountered. His unflinchingly diverse career is one constant curve ball - I become excited each time I find another film of his because I never have ANY idea what to expect. Not only are two Miike films rarely alike, but the vast majority of his efforts I've seen to date are simply beyond comparison to ANYONE. He ploughs a unique furrow that, rather than imitating the style of his masters, sets new standards in cinema for the rest of the world to, at some stage, catch up with.

Tonight I watched "The Bird People In China" (made in 1998) which is, without question in my mind, the most mindblowing Miike film I've come across so far. "Bird People" is the type of masterpiece that most directors could never possibly hope to achieve, even after years of practice... But to give you an idea of this man's insane work ethic - he also made three other movies that year.

Typically genre-bending, "Bird People" begins as a quirky, gently comic adventure story and gradually morphs into a truly epic exploration of the very nature of human emotion, loaded with rare insight, a deep, true warmth and some utterly unforgettable imagery.

Our strange story begins with Mr Wada (Mashahiro Motoki), a Japanese businessman, being shipped off to China by his company in search of a priceless vein of Jade that can only be found in a small village amongst the unchartered depths of the Yun Nan province. Upon his arrival in the country, he is quickly accosted by Mr Ujiie (Renji Ishibashi), a Yakuza who is owed money by Wada's corporation and intends to collect his debt by following Wada out to the village and usurping some of the Jade. They are to be guided by the perpetually jolly but somewhat seedy Mr Shen, an old Chinese explorer who has been to the Jade Village before.

It's not long until they're way off the map, stuck on a rickety raft that's pulled by turtles and smack-bang in the middle of a Mountain range. Shen, around this point, has a rather embarrassing incident with hallucinogenic toadstools, bumps his head on a tree and loses his memory of how to find the village. This is when things start getting a little strange, as the three mismatched men find themselves on an overwhelming adventure that will inevitably shape their entire lives and change them all forever.

To analyse the film's rabid lust-for-life philosophy and examine the complexities of the script would be a media student's dream come true. Rich in symbolism and wild directorial flair, Miike continually pushes the question of whether technological progress, modern day perceptions of civility and even spoken language itself are adversaries or allies to man's untamed nature and desire to be free.

Yadda-yadda-yadda - I know that, as a subject of discussion, it sounds like old hat (and I'm probably doing little more than making this come across like a glorified road movie) but Miike uses a combination of hugely unpredictable situations, poetic dialogue and some of the most unbelievable, bizarre and downright beautiful imagery I've ever seen. Loaded with breathtaking aerial shots of sumptuous green vistas, the film is shot with such magnificent grace as to make it unrecognisable as more being from the same eye responsible for unleashing the breakneck splatterpunk deathtrip of "Ichi The Killer" upon the world. The crowning jewel, however, is Miike's trademarked humour - self-deprecating, occasionally misanthropic and surreal, but ultimately just very funny indeed. There are many genuine laugh-out-loud moments in amongst the soul-searching and Deep Thoughts (tm), which make the film infinitely more accessible and, well... human.

Of course, I'm of the firm belief that a film is only as good as its ending and (with the possible exception of "The Wicker Man"), I don't think I've seen one that packs as much of a punch as this one. I have no desire to spoil any second of this movie for anyone, so I'll just say that the final few frames of "The Bird People Of China" are some of the most pleasantly surprising and magically filmed images I've EVER seen - it just left me slack-jawed, reeling with joy and wonder.

If you're not sold on how much you need to see this film already, I'm afraid there's no hope for you. This is as good as it's ever going to get. Seriously.